Cabin supercharger arrangements



Sept. 25, 1945. D, WARNER v 2,385,664

CABIN SUPERCHARGER ARRANGEMENT S Filed Aug. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor:

Donald F: Warner,

His Attonneg.

P 1945' D. F. WARNER 2,385,654

I CABIN SUPERCHARGER ARRANGEMENTS Filed Aug. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor: Donald F. Warner,

by M

His Attorney.

Patented Sept. 1945 g Donald F. Warner, Swampscott, Masa, asslgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 19, 1941, Serial No. 407,443

1 Claim. (CI.

The present invention relates to cabin supercharger arrangements such as are usedon aircraft including a pump or blower, preferably a centrifugal type compressor, for supplying air under pressure to a cabin or like consumer. In

order to maintain comfortable conditions in a passenger cabin it is necessary to provide a com- I pressor for, forcing air into the cabin together with means for controlling the compressor to maintain substantially constant pressure in the cabin and to provide for substantially constant circulation ofairtherethrough.

compressor I I has an inlet conduit II with acorn trol valve l4 and a dischargeconduit ll connected to the cabin in.

The-object of myinvention is to provide an improved'construction and arrangement of cabin superchargers and mechanism for controlling them. For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to The requirement for the maintenance of sub-- stantially uniform conditions in an aircraft cabin is accomplished in accordance with my invention by the provision of a supercharger and a mechanism for controlling it to deliver a substantially constant weight of air per minute to the cabin. The weight of air delivered by a compressor is a function of the flow, pressure and temperature of the air in the compressor discharge conduit.

A cabin supercharger control mechanism ac'cord-. ing to my invention accordingly includes means responsive to changes of these variables of flow, pressure and temperature. In certain instances changes of the temperature may be neglected and 'the compressor maybe controlled by a mechanism responsive to changes of the product of flow and pressure only in the compressor discharge conduit. The output of the compressor may be varied in known manner either by varying its speed or by the provision of a throttle valve in one of its inlet and outlet conduits.

Referring now to Fig. 1, in which I have shown a mechanism of the type iust described, the arrangement includes a cabin II which may be a passenger cabin on an aircraft and which broadly constitutes a consumer for air or like medium under pressure. Air under pressure is supplied to the cabin" by a centrifugal compressor I i driven by a power agency such as a turbine ii. The

The leading and trailing edge portions or the valve member it are bent in order to produce substantially equal flow conditions near the leading and trailing portions of the valve member and thereby to; reduce the valve reactions especially near clomg position of the valve. In addition,

the valve is contained in a casing Ila which is barrel-shaped having a cross-sectional area which increases gradually from the inlet of the casing it towards a vertical plane through the valveeupport and thereafter decreases towards the outlet of the casing. With an arrangement of thiskind the rate of opening near the. cracking point of the valve per increment of the angular displacement of the valve member becomes such as to provide substantially uniform stability throughout the range of operation and in addition this arrangement reduces the reactions 7 of the valve member against movement over a long range of opening travel. The cabin has a discharge conduit it through which air is discharged into the atmosphere, the discharge being controlled by a butterfly valve il in the conduit II. The control of the valve is eflected automatically by means responsive to changes of the absolute pressure in the cabin I II. This means includes an evacuated bellows ll shown supported on a wall of the cabin II and biased towards the right, that is, against collapsing, by means of an adjustable tension spring ll. Changes in cabin pressure effect movement of the bellows, an increase in pres.- sure causing collapsing oi the bellows and'a decrease in pressure causing expansion themof.

" floating and follow-up lever 22. The latter has anintermediate point pivotally connected to-a pilot valve 23 for controlling the motor 2. and

' .another point pivotally linked to one end or a iulcrumed lever 24 having another end-connected 2.. Under this conditionthe piston ii of the motor is moved to the left, causing opening movement of the valve II and turning movement oi the lever 22 to restore the pilot valve to its original position. Similarly, a drop in cabin pressure causes expansion of the bellows and, through the hydraulic motor, closing movement of the valve l1, thereby reducing the discharge of air from the cabin and maintaining substantially constant cabinpressure.

In the present example the operation of the compressor or blower ii is controlled by a mechanism for positioning the valve It in response to changes of the product oi iiow and absolute pressure in the discharge conduit II. This mechanism broadly comprises a device 2! responsive to variations of flow in the conduit Ii and another device 20 responsive to pressure changes. more specifically to absolute pressure changes in the conduit II, and a link and lever mechanism 21 connected to the devices 28 and 2G to form a product or the two variables and to transmit changes of the product to the valve It by means including a hydraulic motor 20.

The flow responsive device 25 comprises a cylinder 2! with open side walls and flanged end portions. A diaphragm l and a curved end plate II are attached tothe upper end of the cylinder, and a diaphragm l2 and a curved cover :I are attached to the lower end of the cylinder, thus forming chambers 34 and 35 respectively. Central portions of the diaphragms 30, 32 are rigidly secured to the ends of astrut or rod 36 which has a central portion pivotally connected to an intermediate point of a lever 31, the lefthand end of which is pivoted to a fulcrum 3 8. The diaphragms are biased downward by an adjustable tension spring 39 connected to the lower end of the rod 36. The chamber 35 is'connected to the end of animpa'ct tube Iii having another end located within the inlet conduit l and the chamber 34 is connected to one end of a pressure tube 4i having another end connecting with the conduit t5. With this arrangementan increase in fiow in the conduit I5 causes upward movement of the right-hand end of the lever 31 and, vice-versa, a decrease in flow in the conduit l5 causes downward movement of the right-hand end of the lever II. Y

The absolute pressure responsive device, 26 is of known design comprising a bellows 42 communicating through a tube 43 with the conduit l5 and biased against expansion by an adjustable tension spring 44. The lower end or the bellows is secured to a fixed support 45 and an upper end plate of the bellows is connected to the lower end plate of an evacuated bellows 48 having an upper end held on a fixed support. Adjacent portions of the bellows are rigidly connected to a lateral extension or lever 41, During operation an increase in pressure in the conduit l5 causes upward movement of the lever 41 and, vice-versa, a decrease in absolute pressure in the conduit Ii causes downward movement of the lever 41. Similarly, a decrease in absolute pressure in the conduit .li causes downward movement of the lever orextension l'l.

The link and lever mechanism 2'! for forming a product of the movements of the right-hand ends or the levers 31 and 41 of the devices and" respectively comprises vertical links 48 and 40 having lower ends pivotally connected to the right-hand ends of the levers I1 and 41 respectively. The'upperend of the link 48 is pivotally connected to a curved lever ill which has a left-hand ortion held on a fulcrum ii. The

upper surface of the lever is engaged by a roller or like means 52 held at the lower end of a link I. The upper end of the link II is pivotally connected to the lower end of a rod ll biased downward by a compression spring II held between a. fixed support I. and a spring plate 51 secured to the rod N. The spring l5 thus'acts to maintain engagement between the roller I2 and the curved lever II, and thus eliminates lost motion.

The upper end of the link It is connected to one arm of a' bellcrank lever II, the other arm of which is pivotally connected by a link II to an intermediate point of the link It. The lever I has an inner circular cylindrical surface engaging the roller 52 and the radius of the cylindrical surface is equal to the length of the link 53 with the roller 52. In the position shown in Fig. 1, the lever 50 is in zero position in which the center of its upper cylindrical surface coincides with the upper end or pivot of the link 53 or, from another viewpoint, in which the centerline of the link 53 coincides with a radius of the upper curved surface of the lever 60. In this position movement of the link to the right by action of the pressure responsive de'vice 26 does not cause movement of the rod 54; the link 62 under this condition merely rotates about its upper pive otal connection with the rod 54. The length of the link 53 from the center of its upper pivot to the lower edge of the roller 52 is substantially equal to the radius of curvature of the lever 50. When the pressure registered by the absolute pressure responsive device 26 is zero the roller 52 must stand radially over the fulcrum iii and when the pressure difference as registered by the diiierential pressure responsive device 25 is zero the lever ill must be in the position indicated in its circular cylindrical surface coincides with the full lines in Figs. 1 and 2 in which the center of center of the upper pivot of the link 53.

In Fig. 2, the mechanism is shown enlarged with both the lever and the link 53 shown in full lines in zero positions and in dash-dotted lines in other positions. The link 53 is in its zero position in which its centerline coincides with the line connecting the upper pivot of the link 53 with the center of the pivot or fulcrum 5|, In this position turning movement of the lever 50 about its fulcrum does not cause movement of the rod 5i. Considering the mechanism in the position shown ,invdash-dotted lines in Fig; 2,-it will be notedthat turning movement of either the lever 50 or movement of the link 53 by'the link 59 causes vertical movement of the upper pivot of the link-53 and of accordingly the rod 5| (Fig. 1) The vertical movement of the rod 5| is proportional to the product of the movements of the aforementioned levers 26 and 31 or the product of the movement of the links 59 and 48. If, for example, the lever 50 is moved up one-eighth of an inch, such movement in an intermediate position of the link 53 may cause upward movement of the rod 54 of one-sixteenth of an inch. If now the lever 50 is moved upward three times the aforementioned amount, then the rod 54 also will -be moved upward three times the amount it has asaaeec is pivotally connected by a link 88 to the.lefthand end of a fulcrumed lever 88 which latter has a right-hand endpivotally connected to the upper end of the rod 84. The supply and discharge of fluid under pressure to the cylinder 88 is controlled by a 'pilot valve8l which has a stem 48 pivotally connected to an intermediate point of the floating lever 84. During operation, upward movement of the rod 84 causes counterclockwise turning movement of the fulcrumed lever 88, which latter thereby forces the righthand end of the lever 64 downward, displacing the valve heads of the pilot valve and causing fluid under pressure to be supplied to the lower end of the cylinder 88 and discharged from the upper end thereof, resulting=in upward movement 4 of the iston- 8| and accordingly closing movement of the valve l4. Similarly, downward movement of the rod 84 causes through the hydraulic motor 28 opening movement of the valve 4.

The op ration of the arrangement as a whole is as follows: Assuming the mechanism'is in a balanced condition with the elements 88, 83 in the position shown in dash-dotted lines in Fig. 2; if

now the pressure in the conduit I5 drops, the

lever 41 of the pressure responsive device 28 is forced downward, thereby causing movement of held at the'lowerend of a link .8l. r mediate point of the link8| is connected by a link apressure responsive device 14 corresponding to thedevice 28 in Fig. l and including'a lever 18 corresponding to the lever 41 in Fig.1 and a temperature responsive device 18. The three devices 12, I4, I8 are connected by a link and lever mechvalve ll.

The lever 18 of the flow responsive device I! is connected by a link 18 to a fulcrumed curved lever 88 corresponding to the lever 88'of F18. 1.

The lever '|5 is connected by a link 8| to a bellcrank lever 82 which in turn is connected by a link 88 to a link 84 with a, roller 85 engaging the curved lever 88 and having an upper end pivotal- 1y connected to a rod 88 biased downward by a spring 81 to maintain engagement between-the roller 85 and the curved lever 88. The link and lever mechanism so far described is the same as that shown in Fig. 1,' the rod 88 corresponding to the rod 54 of Fig. 1. in Fig; 1 is connected to the hydraulic motor 28, in the present arrangement the rod 881s con-. nected to another curved lever 88 rotatably supported on a fulcrum 88 and engaging a roller 88 82to one arm of a bellcrank 88 which has an-' in the conduit IS the control mechanism eflects v closing movement of the valve l4.

Assuming now that the pressure in the conduit l5 remains constant and the flow therethrough decreases; this causes, through the flow responsive device 28, downward movement of the right-hand end of the lever-'81 andof the link 48', whereby the lever 58 isturned counterclockwise about its.

other arm connected by a link 84 to the temperatureresponsive device 16. The latter has, a 'bellows 85 enclosedin 'a heat-insulatedchamber and connected'to as'ealed pipe 88 projecting'into i l the conduit 18.

The upper end of the link 8| is pivotally-connected to a rod 8'! biased downward by a spring.

88 held between a fixed support 88 and a collar 188 on the rod 81. The rod '81 is guided'by the support or guide 88- and, the upper end of the rod 81, is connected by a fulcrumed lever IN and a I84 connected to the valve II. The curved levers 88- and "have inner cylindrical surfaces of a constant, the mechanism described above controls 1 the compresssor to supply a constant weight of air per minute to the cabin. In other words, with my mechanism the weight flowof air per minute or the rate of weight flow of air to the cabin or consumer for air or like medium under pressure is maintained substantially constant.

.Im the arrangement of Fig. 3, I have shown a mechanism for controlling a compressor in response to changes of the-product of flow, pressure, as well as temperature of air or like medium discharged from the compressor. The arrangement comprises a conduit I8 corresponding to the conduit L5 in Fig. 1 for conducting air or like fluid under pressure to a cabin or like consumer 18a.

radius equal to the lengths of the links" and 8| respectively. In their zero positions the centers of the surfaces of the levers 88 and 88 00-.

incidewith the center of the pivots at the upper ends of the links 84 and 8| respectively. The line through the center of the fulcrum 88 and the center'of the cylindrical surface of the lever 88 constitutes a zero position for the rod 8|. Likewise, the rod 84 is in a zero position when its center line coincides with the line through the lever-Q88, resulting inupward movement of the 4 link 8|' and the rod 81 to effect closing movement of the valve II. A decrease in flow causes I the-control mechanism to open the'valve ll.

An increase in-pressure in the conduit 18 causes upward movement of the lever I5 which in turn effects movement of the link 88 towards the right whereby the rod 81 is forced upward, causing upward movement of the link 8| and the rod 81 1 to cause closing of the valve I An increase'in temperature of the fluid con- Whereas the rod 84 Anintertainedintheconduit'llcausesexpansionotthe bellows II 0! the pressure responsive devlce,'e!- iectins, upward movement oi the link It and counterclockwise turnin movement of the bell-' crnnk I! about its fulcrum. thus torcin: the link II towards the left and causing counterclockwise turninz movement of the link ll. Simultaneously the latter is torced downward to m'sintain eneasement between the roller II and the lever ll, resulting in downward movement oi the rod I1 and openinz oi the valve II. Similarly, with a drop in temperature oi the fluid in the conduit II the control mechanism eitects closing of the valve Ii. It will be noted that the temperature responsive device with the link I! connected thereto acts upon the link ll in the same manner as the pressure responsive device I4 with the link it connected thereto acts upon the link ll.

Having described the method 0! operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which 90 I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the theinventionmaybecarriedmitbyothermeans.

v compressible medium, a control valve in'uie con-- duit, and a mechanism for controlling the control valveinresponsetochansesoi'theproductotthohow and the pressure of the compressible medium in' the conduit, said mechanism including a tuicrumed lever having a circular cylindrical suriace. a link with a roller connected to one end and mash: the circular surface,- means pivotally connected to the other end oi. the link, the length oi the link with the roller being substantially equal to the radius of the lever, a device responsive to pressure changes at the medium bein: pivotally connected to an intermediete P int of the link, and snother device responsive to changes or now 0! the medium beinl pivotally connected to the lever.

DONALD 1". WARNIR. 

